Silo and silo spacer bar



Feb. 15, 1944. I z Q R NE 2,341,763

SILO AND SILO SPACER BAR Filed June 22, 1942 INVEN'I OR.

Z UR W. CRAINE HTTORNE Y8 responding horizontal seat for its next adjacent door. In other words, a single spacer bar serves two doors, or is a dual bar, although it is to be understood that independent bars for each door are contemplated. Each spacer bar may also be provided upon the pad 20 at each end thereof with at least a pair of vertically spaced tie rod projections or lugs 24 for retaining both the ordinary or simple tie rod I2 and the tie rod loop l3 in position. Preferably there are apair of spaced projections at each end of the spacer bar. A web 25 extends along at least a part of the edge of;

each spacer bar and merges with the shoulder or angle IS in order to strengthen the same. Each web also preferably extends outwardly and" merges with its adjacent spaced projection 24 to strengthen or further support the same. Preferably the spacer bar [8 carries one or two hinge bearings which may be carried by any convenient part of the bar although with an edge mounted 1 door they necessarily must be adjacent the end "of the bar or particularly adjacent the shoulder [9.

One of the pads 20 or the angular part forming the shoulder l9 has an upwardly extending angular ear or extension 26 and a similar downwardly extending angular ear or extension 21. The angular ears extend away from the bar and are adapted to extend along the edge of the stave II. The angular portion-of each ear has a hole therethrough to receive the end of a door hinge means so that each angular ear therefore forms a hinge bearing for the door.

The door 15 is hinged upon a pair of spaced hinge bearings 26 carried by one spacer bar l8 and a hinge bearing 21 carried by the next upper spacer bar. A hinge means 34 is pivotally mount- -ed upon these hinge bearings in any suitable fashion. The hingemeans illustrated has each "end bent downwardly one of which is received ina hole in the ear 23 and the other end in the hole in the ear 2'! of the next bar to form the hinge bearings. This hingemeans extends or curves outwardly from its hinge bearing or door a sufficient distance so that when the door is swung within the silo, the hinge means passes around the inside corner of the silo wall. The hinge means then bends and extends towards a vertically extending center portion of the door and is pivotally secured to the door byavertical or door hinge bearing 35. The central portion of the hinge bar extends vertically alongor adjacent to the door I and is'pivotally secured by the spaced hinge bearings at spaced points in a vertical central portion of the door. The dra" ings show the hinge bearings 35 located beyond the vertical central axis of the door so that the door may swing well past the door opening; and leave a clear doorway into'the silo unobstructed by any part of the-door.

Means are provided-to secure each door 45 against the frame or door seat formed by the recess I4 in the staves H and thespacer bars. The door securing means may be of any form and that particularly shown includes a pair of spaced locking lugs 38 carried by the frame or stave I I, one lug being mounted on each vertical side of the stave. The lugs are preferably positioned upon the horizontal central axis thereof. The locking means includes a pivoted locking hook or latch 39 for each lug which is preferably formed in. a locking bar 40 and carried by the door. It is desirable to provide a slight angularity to the lug engaging portion of each hook or latch so as to clamp as well as secure'the door against the door frame. The locking latch or bar is pivotally mounted upon the door by pivot bearings 4|.

With the construction of hinge described, the horizontal clamping bar 3| may be pivoted up relatively close to the door 15, thereby unlatching the door, and so that the door may be swung either on the vertical door hinge bearings 35 or the frame hinge bearings 26 and 27 or both, without the clamping bar striking the door frame and obstructing the door movement. The door is then swung upon its hinges or hinge means 34 so that pletely away from the door opening. The hinge means, as previously described, clears the inside the door may lie near the inside silo wall comcorner of the silo wall and the door has rotated through approximately relatively to the hinge means from its relative position when clamped in the door opening.

Another form of spacer bar 46 is shown at the bottom of the silo of Figure 1. This spacer bar is like the spacer bar [8 except that it does not carry hinge bearings. This spacer bar has the same end pads 20 and bolts 2|, shoulder l9, projection 24 and webs 25 and hence these parts need not be again described. The hinge mounting for the door l5 for this second form of construction may be of any suitable kind, although the hinge bar 34 of the first form may be used. The upper end of the hinge bar 34 is hingedly mounted upon the hinge bearing 21 and the hinge bearing particularly shown for the bottom of the hinge bar is an independent hinge bearing 43 which is secured in spaced relation to a vertical side or stave ll of the door frame by means of bolts or screws. A like independent hinge bearing may be used for the upper end of the hinge bar 34 in the event a spacer bar 46 is used rather than the spacer bar 18.

The invention is presented to fill a need for improvements in a silo door and silo doorway. It is understood that various modifications in structure, as well as changes in mode of operation, assembly, and manner of use, may and often do occur to those skilled in the art, especially after benefitting from the teachings of an invention. Hence, it Will be understood that this disclosure is illustrative'of preferred means of embodying the invention in useful form by explaining the construction, operation and advantages thereof.

What is claimed is: f

1. A spacer bar for a silo door construction in which the silo walls form two vertical sides of the door frame and the walls are supported by tie rods comprising a bar having a central portion in one plane and means at each end thereof in another plane adapted to secure the same to the two vertical sides of the door frame and keep them spaced apart against the contraction of the tie rods, and a door seat' extending along the length of each edge of the'central portion of the spacer bar.

2. A spacer bar for a silo door construction in which the silo walls form two vertical sides of the door frame and the walls are supported by tie rods comprising a bar having a central portion in one plane and means at each end thereof in another plane adapted to secure the same to the two vertica1 sides of the door frame and keep them spaced apart against the contraction of the tie rods, a door seat along each edge of the central portion of the spacer bar, and spaced shoulders upon the spacer bar formed between the central portion and the securing means adapted to engage the edges of the silo Wall, and a web extending from the central portion to the shoulder to reinforce the same and projecting above the securing means to form a tie bar projection.

3. A spacer bar for a silo door construction in which the silo walls form two Vertical sides of the door frame and the walls are supported by tie rods comprising a bar having a central portion in one plane and means at each end thereof in another plane adapted to secure the same to the two vertical sides of the door frame, a pair of spaced shoulders formed between the central portion and the securing means at each end adapted to engage the vertical sides and keep them spaced apart against the contraction of the tie rods, a web reinforcing the spaced shoulders; and a door seat along each edge of the spacer bar.

4. A spacer bar for a silo door construction in which the silo walls form two vertical sides of the door frame and the walls are supported by tie rods comprising abar having means at each end thereof adapted to secure the same to the two vertical sides of thedoor frame, a pair of spaced shoulders adapted to engage the vertical sides and keep them spaced apart against the contraction of the tie rods, a door seat along each edge of the spacer bar, spaced projections at least at one end of the spacer bar to keep tie rods in place over the bar, and a reinforcing web extending to the shoulder and each projection.

5. A spacer bar for a silo door construction in which the silo walls form two vertical sides of the door frame and the walls are supported by tie rods comprising a bar having a center portion terminating in spaced shoulders which are adapted to engage and keep the vertical sides of the door frame spaced apart against the contraction of the tie rods, a pad at each end of the bar extending from the shoulders and in a different plane from the center portion which pads are adapted to secure the bar to the vertical sides of the door frame, ardoor seat along each edge of the spacer bar, a pair of spaced projections upon each pad, a reinforcing web extending along each edge of the center portion to the shoulder and to each projection.

6. A spacer bar for a silo door construction.

in which the silo walls form two vertical sides of the door frame and the walls are supported by tie rods comprising a bar having a central portion in one plane and means at each end thereof in another plane adapted to secure the same to the two vertical sides of the door frame, a pair of spaced shoulders adapted to engage the vertical sides and keep them spaced apart against the contraction of the tie rods, at least one hinge bearing carried by the spacer bar, and a door seat along the length of at least one edge of the spacer bar.

'7. A spacer bar for a silo door construction in which the silo walls form two vertical sides of the door frame and the walls are supported by tie rods comprising a bar having means at each end thereof adapted to secure the same to the two vertical sides of the door frame, a pair of spaced shoulders adapted to engage the vertical sides and keep them spaced apart against the contraction of the tie rods, a door seat along each edge of thespacer bar, spaced projections at least at one end of the spacer bar to keep tie rods in place over the bar, a reinforcing web extending to the shoulder and each projection, and at least one angular extension projecting from one of the shoulders to form a hinge bearing.

8. A spacer bar for a silo door construction in which the silo walls form two vertical sides of the door frame and the walls are supported by tie rods comprising a bar having a center portion terminating in spaced shoulders which are adapted to engage and keep the Vertical sides of the door frame spaced apart against the contraction of the tie rods, a pad at each end of the bar extending from the shoulders and in a different plane from the center portion which pads are adapted to secure the bar to the vertical sides of the door frame, a door seat along each edge of the spacer bar, a pair of spaced projections upon each pad, a reinforcing web extending along each edge of the center portion to the shoulder and to each projection, and an angular extension projecting from each end of one of the shoulders and forming apair of hinge bearings.

ZUR W. CRAINE. 

